


We've a lot of starving faithful

by yourbuttervoicedbeau (kiwiana)



Series: Songs from the Jukebox [Prompt Fills] [6]
Category: Schitt's Creek
Genre: Catholic Feelings, Jukebox Prompt, M/M, POV Patrick Brewer, Prompt Fill, Well technically Lapsed Catholic Feelings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-18
Updated: 2020-06-18
Packaged: 2021-03-03 19:08:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 771
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24780574
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kiwiana/pseuds/yourbuttervoicedbeau
Summary: “Such magnanimousness from Mother Cabrini,” she says lightly, and Patrick grins at her. David’s ‘delightful half-half situation’ generally only comes up when he’s justifying Christmas presents, and Patrick’s never really thought about what that whole non-Jewish half actually is.
Relationships: Patrick Brewer & Moira Rose, Patrick Brewer/David Rose
Series: Songs from the Jukebox [Prompt Fills] [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1775569
Comments: 31
Kudos: 175





	We've a lot of starving faithful

**Author's Note:**

  * For [spiffymittens](https://archiveofourown.org/users/spiffymittens/gifts).



> For spiffy, who asked for "Patrick and Moira commiserate/bond over being lapsed Catholics". I can always be prevailed up for queer Catholic feelings, so here we are!
> 
> As always with prompt fills it’s unedited, barely reread, and written on my phone, so apologies for what I’m sure is a multitude of errors.
> 
> Title is from (who else?) Hozier.

Patrick’s still not entirely sure how or when their private cake tasting appointment expanded to include David’s parents, but he finds himself driving to the bakery with his future in-laws in the back seat of his car, the three Roses bickering the whole way. Patrick tries to hide his smile at their antics — even now, David is half-convinced his family will drive Patrick away but he loves their chaotic, dysfunctional affection for one another.

Elmdale is far busier than it has any right to be on a random Saturday afternoon in August, and Patrick finds himself circling the block several times. Their appointment time is getting closer and he can feel his jaw clenching as he passes the bakery again, no parking space in sight.

“Mother Cabrini, Mother Cabrini,” Patrick mutters under his breath, not really thinking about the words.

“Please find a spot for my little machiney,” he hears from the back seat, and his eyes fly up to meet Moira’s in the rearview mirror. He opens his mouth to say something, but before he can he sees an SUV pulling out of a space just a few doors down from the bakery and he quickly throws his indicator on, maneuvering carefully into the spot. They pile out of the car and to Patrick’s surprise, Moira threads an arm through his as David and Johnny go on ahead.

“Such magnanimousness from Mother Cabrini,” she says lightly, and Patrick grins at her. David’s ‘delightful half-half situation’ generally only comes up when he’s justifying Christmas presents, and Patrick’s never really thought about what that whole non-Jewish half actually is.

“She usually comes through,” he says, and Moira hums.

“You no longer attend church,” she says. It’s not a question, but Patrick shakes his head anyway.

“I went to Catholic school for years. Some of it I liked, some of it I really didn’t.” He huffs a laugh. “Pretty obvious why some of it made me uncomfortable, in retrospect.”

Moira nods. “Mm. My own attendance fell away the first time David donned one of my cocktail gowns and declared that he would henceforth wear nothing else.”

“Huh,” Patrick blinks. “Gotta be honest, Mrs Rose, I can’t really picture teenage David at mass.”

“Oh, no, he was four at the time,” she replies blandly. Patrick snorts.

“Do you miss it?” he asks quietly after a moment.

She looks carefully at him, as though sensing the sentiment lying underneath the question. 

“Periodically,” she says after a moment. “There’s a certain peace at church that is rather difficult to obtain elsewhere.” She doesn’t say anything else, just looks at him as though she can see the words clawing up out of his throat.

“David and I went to church on Christmas Eve,” Patrick says slowly. Moira raises an eyebrow but otherwise doesn’t react, waiting for him to continue. “One of those non-denominational, everyone’s welcome churches. It was…”

“Incommensurable?” Moira supplies when he pauses. It’s not the word he was searching for, but it sounds like it’s probably right.

“Yeah. It was everything I should have liked, you know? Live band singing the carols, families laughing and having fun. There were little single-serve communion packets. The sermon was based around The Polar Express, for some reason? It wasn’t like any church service I’ve ever been to. But…”

“It was not the precise fit,” Moira finishes for him.

Patrick nods. “Exactly. I think I prefer the Catholic mass, but I can’t get past some of the messaging, so…” he shrugs, not knowing how to finish the sentence.

They stand quietly for a moment before Moira breaks the silence. “Even now, I make some sort of sacrifice for Lent,” she says. “It’s perfectly acceptable to take some comfort from the positive aspects, and discard that which is not befitting.” She squeezes his arm, and Patrick swallows hard past the sudden lump in his throat. Before he can say anything else, he hears David shout.

“Are either of you planning to come and try any of this cake?” he yells, and Patrick laughs.

“Coming, honey,” he hollers back. David rolls his eyes, his mouth twisting into a fond grin.

They don’t discuss it again, in so many words. But later, when the Roses have moved away, if they happen to be staying in Schitt’s Creek on a Friday Patrick makes sure to cook something with fish. And later still, when they sell the cottage — because David was right, it was too small for the rest of their lives — a St Joseph statue arrives on their doorstep the day the listing goes live, with no note and a California return address.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks so much for reading! Come and find me on [Tumblr](http://yourbuttervoicedbeau.tumblr.com).


End file.
